Electric toothbrush

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an electric toothbrush including a toothbrush plate having a cleaning brush installed thereon; a toothbrush head having a storage within which the toothbrush plate is stored; a toothbrush body that is connected to the toothbrush head and has a storage space formed therein; a flat type vibration motor that is disposed between the toothbrush plate and the toothbrush head; and a power supply unit that includes a power supply that is disposed in the storage space of the toothbrush body and supplies the vibration motor with power, a power supply switch connected to the power supply and a wire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor and the power supply switch and supplies the vibration motor with power.

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/082,884, filedApr. 18, 2011, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2010-0032374, filed on Apr. 8, 2010, which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to an electric toothbrush.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally, a toothbrush including a handle and a cleaning brush isformed with a plastic material. The toothbrush removes foreignsubstances and tartar (scale or dental calculus) from teeth by moving auser's wrist or arm.

Recently, an electric toothbrush is being increasingly used, which usesrotation and vibration of a motor in order to maximize effect of toothbrushing, i.e., to remove foreign substances or tartar from teeth usinga toothbrush, and to make tooth brushing easy.

However, an electric toothbrush developed recently has a driving motorin its handle so that vibration generated by the driving motor embeddedin the handle is not efficiently transferred to a cleaning brush. It istherefore difficult to efficiently remove the foreign substances andtartar from teeth.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an electric toothbrush, capable ofdirectly vibrating a cleaning brush to obtain a high vibration on thecleaning brush, thereby efficiently removing foreign substances andtartar from teeth.

The technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are notlimited to the above technical problem, and other technical problemswill be understood by those skilled in the art from the descriptionbelow.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electric toothbrushincludes a toothbrush plate having a cleaning brush installed thereon; atoothbrush head having a storage within which the toothbrush plate isstored; a toothbrush body that is connected to the toothbrush head andhas a storage space formed therein; a flat type vibration motor that isdisposed between the toothbrush plate and the toothbrush head; and apower supply unit that includes a power supply that is disposed in thestorage space of the toothbrush body and supplies the vibration motorwith power, a power supply switch connected to the power supply and awire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor and the powersupply switch and supplies the vibration motor with power.

According to the electric toothbrush of the present disclosure, there isan advantageous effect that foreign substances and tartar can be removedfrom teeth by disposing a flat type vibration motor between a toothbrushplate having a cleaning brush installed thereon and a toothbrush headand by vibrating the cleaning brush directly from underneath thetoothbrush plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electric toothbrushaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the electric toothbrush illustrated inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a bottom side of the electric toothbrushillustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the vibration motor illustrated in FIG. 1,taken along line I-I′.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings. In this procedure, size andshape of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for thesake of clarity and convenience. Further, terms that are specificallydefined in consideration of construction and operation of the presentdisclosure may be changed according to operator's intention or custom.Definition of such items should be made on the basis of entire contentsof the specification.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electric toothbrushaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is asectional view of the electric toothbrush illustrated in FIG. 1; andFIG. 3 is a view illustrating a bottom side of the electric toothbrushillustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the electric toothbrush 500 includes atoothbrush plate 100, a toothbrush head 120, a toothbrush body 200, avibration motor 300, and a power supply unit 400. In addition, theelectric toothbrush 500 includes a waterproof member 450 (refer to FIG.2), and a sealing member 460.

The toothbrush plate 100 includes a base plate 102 to be described, thatis formed correspondingly to the toothbrush head 120 and a cleaningbrush 105 that is installed on the base plate 102 and removes foreignsubstances and tartar from teeth.

The toothbrush head 120 stores the toothbrush plate 100 and fixes itthereto. The toothbrush head 120 has a storage 122 being a concavegroove to store the toothbrush plate 100, which is formed in the upperside of the toothbrush head 120, the upper side facing the base plate102. A vibration motor storage groove 124 to be described that storesthe vibration motor 300 is formed on the bottom of the storage 122.

The toothbrush head 120 has a wire discharge hole 126 formed asillustrated in FIG. 3.

The toothbrush plate 100 is fixed to the storage 122 of the toothbrushhead 120 using an adhesive member or the like.

The toothbrush body 200 has a rod shape, which is integrally formed withthe toothbrush head 120, and the toothbrush body 200 includes a firsthousing 210, a second housing 230 and a sealing holder 240.

The first housing 210 is defined as a portion gripped by a user's handwhen a user brushes teeth, and one end of the first housing 210 isintegrally formed with the toothbrush head 120.

A storage space 212 to be described that stores a power supply unit 400is arranged in the first housing 210, which is formed from the middle ofthe first housing 210 to the end of the first housing 210 alonglongitudinal direction of the first housing 210.

A first button inserting hole 214 connected to the storage space 212 isformed on the top side of first housing 210 below which the storagespace 212 is formed.

A wire storage groove 216 extending from a wire discharge hole 126 tothe other end of the first housing 210 is formed on the bottom side ofthe first housing 210 that faces the top side of the first housing 210.

A second button inserting hole 218 is formed in a portion of the wirestorage groove 216 corresponding to the first button inserting hole 214,which is also connected to the storage space 212.

The second housing 230 is thread-engaged with the other end of the firsthousing 210 so that it closes the storage space 212 of the first housing210.

The sealing holder 240 is inserted between the first and second housings210 and 230 so that it prevents water from being flown into the storagespace 212 of the first housing 210.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the vibration motor illustrated in FIG. 1,taken along line I-I′.

Referring to FIG. 4, the vibration motor 300 includes a flat typevibration motor, for example, and is disposed in a vibration motorstorage groove 124 of the toothbrush head 120 to directly vibrate acleaning brush 105 of the toothbrush plate 100. The vibration motor 300includes a case 310, a rotational axis 320, a rotor 330 and a magnet340.

The case 310 is formed in a coin shape, including a first case 312 and asecond case 314 that is engaged with an upper portion of the first case312. When the first and second cases 312 and 314 are engaged with eachother, an empty space is formed in the first and second cases 312 and314 to store the rotational axis 320, rotor 330 and magnet 340 therein.

The rotational axis 320 is vertically disposed in the case 310. One endof the rotational axis 320 is rotatably engaged with the center of thebottom surface of the first case 312, and the other end of therotational axis 320 is rotatably engaged with the center of the upperside of the second case 314 that faces the bottom side of the first case314.

The rotor 330 is fixed to the rotational axis 320 to be eccentricthereto, including a molding 331, a weight (not shown) and a pair ofcoils 334.

The molding 331 is formed in a disc shape and has a bearing 335 engagedin its center. Openings are formed around the bearing 335 to store thepair of coils 334 and a weight is disposed in the molding 331 to beeccentric thereto.

The weight is fixed to the rotational axis 320 to be eccentric theretoand generates a vibration when the rotational axis 320 rotates by amagnetic field that is generated by an interaction between the coil 334and a magnet 340 to be described.

The coil 334 is wound around the weight 332 to generate a magnetic fieldneeded to rotate the rotational axis 320.

The magnet 340 is formed in a doughnut shape and disposed on the bottomside of the first case 312 correspondingly to the coil 334. The magnet340 rotates the rotational axis 320 by an inter-magnetic fieldinteraction with the coil 334.

A reference numeral 336 in FIG. 4 denotes a commutator circuit board,and a reference numeral 337 denotes a brush, which is electricallyconnected to the commutator circuit board 336. In an embodiment of thepresent disclosure, the flat type vibration motor 300 may be formed in abrushless type.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, construction and structureof the vibration motor 300 may be variously changed other than thevibration motor 300 illustrated in FIG. 4, and the embodiment of thepresent disclosure does not restrict the construction and structure ofthe vibration motor 300.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 again, the power supply unit 400 is disposedin the storage space 212 of the toothbrush body 200 and supplies powerto the vibration motor 300. The power supply unit 400 includes a powersupply, a switch and a wire.

A power supply 410 includes a battery 412, an anode plate 414 andcathode plates 416 and 418.

The battery 412 supplies power needed to drive the vibration motor 300.An anode terminal 412 a is formed on one side of the battery 412 and acathode terminal 412 b is formed on the other side of the battery 412.In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery 412 may be anickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-hydrogen battery and a lithium ionbattery.

The anode plate 414 is electrically in contact with the anode terminal412 a of the battery 412.

The cathode plates 416 and 418 include a first cathode plate 416 and asecond cathode plate 418. The first cathode plate 416 is fixed to oneend of the second housing 230 that is flown into the storage space 212of the toothbrush body 200. Accordingly, when the second housing 230 isengaged with the first housing 210, the first cathode plate 416 iselectrically in contact with the cathode terminal 412 b of the battery412.

The second cathode plate 418 is disposed in a thread engaging portion ofthe first housing 210. When the second housing 230 is thread-engagedwith the first housing 210, the second cathode plate 418 is electricallyin contact with the first cathode plate 416 fixed to the second housing230.

The power supply switch 420 is disposed ahead of the power supply 410 inthe storage space 212 of the toothbrush body 200, and forms a closedcircuit together with the vibration motor 300, the power supply 410 anda wire to be described in order to supply power to the vibration motor300.

The power supply switch 420 includes a first switch contact button 422,a second switch contact button 424 and a switch 426.

The first switch contact button 422 is inserted into a first buttoninserting hole 214 formed in the first housing 210 and the second switchcontact button 424 is inserted into a second button inserting hole 218formed in the first housing 210.

The switch 426 is disposed between the first and second switch contactbuttons 422 and 424, and the switch 426 includes a first switch 426 aand a second switch 426 b.

The first switch 426 a is a thin metal plate, which is disposed underthe first switch contact button 422 and is electrically connected to theanode plate 414.

The second switch 426 b is a thin metal plate, which is detached fromthe first switch 426 a and is disposed on the second switch contactbutton 424.

When the first and second switch contact buttons 422 and 424 are pushedusing user's thumb and forefinger, the first and second switches 426 aand 426 b are in contact with each other by a pressure applied to thefirst and second switch contact buttons 422 and 424 and then form anelectrical closed circuit.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 again, the wire 430 connects the vibrationmotor 300 and the power supply unit 400 with each other and suppliespower needed to drive the vibration motor 300. The wire 430 includes ananode wire and a cathode wire.

The anode wire electrically connects the vibration motor 300 and thesecond spring with each other, and the cathode wire 434 electricallyconnects the vibration motor 300 and the second cathode plate 418 witheach other.

The anode and cathode wires both connected to the vibration motor 300are fetched out of the toothbrush head 120 through the toothbrushdischarge hole 126 formed in the toothbrush head 120 and then stored ina wire storage groove 216 formed in the toothbrush body 200.

Referring to FIG. 2 again, a waterproof member 450 is formed to coveraround the motor storage groove 124 including the vibration motor 300 inorder to prevent water from flowing into the vibration motor 300 fixedto the vibration motor storage groove 126.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 again, the sealing member 460 formedcorrespondingly to the wire storage groove 216 is inserted into the wirestorage groove 216 including the wire discharge hole 126. The sealingmember 460 prevents water from flowing into the vibration motor 300through the wire discharge hole 126 and into the storage space 212 ofthe toothbrush body 200 through the wire storage groove 216.

According to the detailed description given above, the flat typevibration motor is installed between the toothbrush plate having thecleaning brush installed thereon and the toothbrush head so as tovibrate the cleaning brush directly from underneath the toothbrushplate, thereby sufficiently obtaining a vibration needed to removeforeign substances and tartar from teeth.

Hereinbefore, while the embodiments of the present disclosure aredescribed, they are exemplary ones only and one of ordinary skill in theart may recognize that various alterations and modifications that fallwithin the scope of the present disclosure may be possible. Accordingly,the true technical protection scope of the present disclosure should bedefined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electric toothbrush, comprising: a toothbrushplate having a cleaning brush installed thereon; a toothbrush headhaving a storage within which the toothbrush plate is stored; atoothbrush body that is connected to the toothbrush head and has astorage space formed therein; a flat type vibration motor that isdisposed between the toothbrush plate and the toothbrush head; and apower supply unit that includes a power supply that is disposed in thestorage space of the toothbrush body and supplies the vibration motorwith power, a power supply switch connected to the power supply and awire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor and the powersupply switch and supplies the vibration motor with power.
 2. Theelectric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the toothbrush headhas a vibration motor storage groove to store the vibration motor. 3.The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, further comprising anadhesive member to glue the toothbrush head and the toothbrush platetogether.
 4. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, furthercomprising a waterproof member to cover and protect the vibration motor.5. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the vibrationmotor is formed in a flat coin shape.
 6. The electric toothbrushaccording to claim 1, wherein the power supply switch includes: a firstswitch contact button disposed in the toothbrush body; a second switchcontact button disposed in the toothbrush body and facing the firstswitch contact button; and a switch portion that is disposed in thestorage space of the toothbrush body and is electrically connected by apressure applied to the first and second switch buttons.
 7. The electrictoothbrush according to claim 1, wherein a wire storage groove to storea wire that is electrically connected to the vibration motor is formedon the surface of the toothbrush body, and the wire storage groove isengaged with a sealing member to seal the wire storage groove.
 8. Anelectric toothbrush, comprising: a toothbrush plate having a cleaningbrush installed thereon; a toothbrush head having a storage groovewithin which the toothbrush plate is stored and a vibration motorstorage groove within which the vibration motor is stored; a toothbrushbody that is connected to the toothbrush head and has a storage spaceformed therein; a flat type vibration motor that is disposed between thetoothbrush plate and the toothbrush head; a power supply unit thatincludes a power supply that is disposed in the storage space of thetoothbrush body and supplies the vibration motor with power, a powersupply switch connected to the power supply, and a wire that iselectrically connected to the vibration motor and the power supplyswitch and provides the vibration with power; and an adhesive member toglue the toothbrush head and toothbrush plate together.
 9. The electrictoothbrush according to claim 8, further comprising a waterproof memberto cover and protect the vibration motor.
 10. The electric toothbrushaccording to claim 9, wherein the vibration motor is formed in a flatcoin shape.
 11. The electric toothbrush according to claim 10, whereinthe power supply switch includes: a first switch contact button disposedin the toothbrush body; a second switch contact button disposed in thetoothbrush body and facing the first switch contact button; and a switchportion that is disposed in the storage space of the toothbrush body andis electrically connected by a pressure applied to the first and secondswitch buttons.
 12. The electric toothbrush according to claim 11,wherein a wire storage groove to store a wire that is electricallyconnected to the vibration motor is formed on the surface of thetoothbrush body, and the wire storage groove is engaged with a sealingmember to seal the wire storage groove.
 13. The electric toothbrushaccording to claim 12, wherein the vibration motor includes: a caseformed in a coin shape; a rotational axis disposed in the case and in avertical direction of the case; a rotor that is fixed to the rotationalaxis to be eccentric to the rotational axis; and a magnet installed inthe case.
 14. The electric toothbrush according to claim 13, wherein therotor includes: a molding formed in a disc shape; a weight installed tothe rotational axis to be eccentric to the rotational axis; and a pairof coils that is wound around the weight to generate a magnetic fieldneeded to rotate the rotational axis.
 15. The electric toothbrushaccording to claim 14, wherein the magnet is formed in a doughnut shapeand disposed on the bottom of the case, the magnet being positionedcorrespondingly to the coil.
 16. The electric toothbrush according toclaim 15, wherein the power supply includes: a battery that suppliespower needed to drive the vibration motor and has both anode and cathodeterminals; an anode plate disposed in a position facing the anodeterminal; and a cathode plate disposed in a position facing the cathodeterminal.
 17. The electric toothbrush according to claim 16, wherein thebattery is a nickel-cadmium battery.
 18. The electric toothbrushaccording to claim 8, wherein the toothbrush body includes: a firsthousing that is gripped by a hand when a user brushes teeth; a secondhousing that is thread-engaged with the other end of the first housing;and a sealing holder that is inserted between the first and secondhousings so as to prevent water from flowing into the first and secondhousings.
 19. The electric toothbrush according to claim 18, wherein thefirst housing includes the storage space to store the power supply unittherein.
 20. The electric toothbrush according to claim 19, wherein thefirst housing has a first button inserting hole formed in an upper sideof an area where the storage space is formed.